Our Services

Urgent Care

Urgent Care

Same-day urgent care service for prescription medications, treatment of infections and injuries

Wellness Care

Wellness Care

Alternative and conventional approaches are combined with the goal to provide relief from symptoms or acquire more energy so you can have more fun, be more productive, or have time for family, friends, and the things you enjoy.

Conventional Care

Conventional Care

We do urgent care, physical exams, order tests and scans, start and refill prescription drugs, perform procedures and referrals.

Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine

Alternative treatments often eliminate problems or manage issues to reduce costs, prevent hospitalizations and avoid prescription drug side effects. Many choices are available with wellness care and natural treatments.

Telephone Consults

Telephone Consults

Telephone consults eliminate travel time to and from the doctor's office and eliminate waiting room time. This allows evaluation and management from remote locations.

Supplement Store

Supplement Store

You can stop by and purchase supplements for a wide variety of conditions without becoming a patient. You can call and purchase supplements which we will ship to you.

Insurance and Discounted Cash Payment

Insurance and Discounted Cash Payment

Most insurance is accepted. We are unable to accept Medicare, Medicaid, L&I, or CHPW at this time. We offer a discounted cash visit for patients with no insurance, insurance we cannot accept, or patients with high deductible insurance.

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Meet David Overton

David is a nationally certified Physician Assistant who provides integrated conventional and alternative medical care at Natural Medicines & Family Practice under the supervision of Dr. Richard Faiola, MD, ABFM.

Heart Strain or Heart Failure – Prevention and Treatment

Heart strain is the precursor to heart failure or congestive heart disease. We are finding it more often than expected and at younger ages. Why? Because damaged but treatable heart valves heart chambers or heart muscle problems are epidemic. Why? Because we force down blood pressure with drugs and that strains the heart. Why? Because drugs can deplete Co Q 10 and other heart nutrients. Why? Because no one told you excess fat cells, immune problems or infections, damaged kidneys or insulin/glucose problems could damage heart muscle or valves. Why? Because conventional methods wait until the person developed classic symptoms before making the diagnosis, If you think about it, we are diagnosing heart attacks, high blood pressure and diabetes at younger ages; it’s no surprise we’d find heart strain.

The American Heart Association has changed methods to classify patients. Class A heart strain or heart failure means high risk, but without structural changes or classic symptoms. These patients are often overweight, sedentary, have high or low blood pressure, abnormal insulin or glucose, a history of infections, abnormal kidney functions, abnormal cholesterol, family history of “heart disease”, are smokers, etc. and need preventative education and treatment. Other indicators include high C reactive protein or homocysteine, kidney disease, abnormal testosterone and low heart rates or blood pressure.

Class B heart strain or heart failure means structural changes occasional seen on ECG (or EKG) but commonly seen on cardiac ultrasounds (echocardiograms), such as enlarged heart chambers or leaky valves but without classic symptoms (leg swelling, lung congestion, shortness of breath or high blood pressure). Common symptoms include fatigue, anxiety and mood changes, sleep disturbances, vague breathing symptoms, minimal swelling, constipation, irritable bowel or heartburn, especially in women. Structural changes are seen on ECG or cardiac ultrasound but often not told to patients in the early stages. Mitral and aortic valve problems are now classified here and warrant follow up.

We commonly recommend supplements, magnesium and B vitamin shots with good success rates for heart strain and heart failures. We always treat heart problems with advice on improving lifestyle and food intake. Ask for our health diets or schedule an appointment for advice.

The drugs we were trained to use (diuretics, digoxin) may relieve symptoms but do not prevent long-term consequences. Newer studies specify which drugs and doses are optimal (see Part 3 & 4). Furthermore, many cardiac drugs, especially statin cholesterol drugs, deplete B vitamins, Co Q 10, minerals and other nutrients necessary for heart functions, contributing to heart failure risks. To make matters worse, new data indicates some diabetic pills may contribute to heart failure for some people and statin drugs cause diabetes in 9% of cases.

So what can you do? Choose to change your thinking, get educated, review your heart tests with a practitioner who treats early or “mild” findings, tests for nutritional deficiencies, works on abnormal lab tests and use drugs or alternative medicines as indicated. If you want advice on changing food intake or healthy lifestyle changes – schedule an appointment.

Cardiac drugs work better if nutritional deficiencies are addressed, so consider doing Spectracell micronutrient testing. With appropriately chosen supplements, magnesium or B vitamin shots we see less side effects, use lower drug doses or avoid drug. Certain drugs deplete or increase potassium and other nutrients and can damage the kidneys, so frequent blood tests are needed to prevent side effects. We get better results if we test for and treat the multiple overlapping causes of heart damage (weight, immune, infection, kidney, glucose problems, etc.), which is covered in other handouts or appointments.

I personally have Class B heart strain due to immune problems, infections, blood vessel damage, genetic and insulin/glucose problems and am managing very well. My father and mother wouldn’t listen to me, just followed cardiologist’s advicde and suffered, then died from heart failure.

Heart Strain or Heart Failure, Part 2

There are different types of heart strain and heart failure. Major types include systolic or diastolic (with or without preserved left ventricle functions), left and right ventricle problems or both, hypertensive, hypotensive (low blood pressure), ischemic (reduced oxygen and blood flow to the heart), congested and non-congested. It requires additional tests, time and responses to treatments to sort these types out. Unfortunately, there can be a lot overlap between the types.

Up to 50% of patients have normal left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction on cardiac scans > 40), but these patients account for about 50% of hospital admissions. Those with systolic heart failure are more common at any age, more typically male, typically have coronary artery disease, prior heart attack and higher risks. Classic symptoms often include fatigue, shortness of breath, poor blood flow to organs and lung congestion (in the later stages), but also chest pain.

Those with diastolic dysfunction are more typically female, have high blood pressure, have high glucose, insulin defects and are overweight.

Those with left heart strain or failure more commonly include enlarged heart chambers, fatigue, shortness of breath with activities and poor blood flow and oxygenation to internal organs. Those with high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy (muscle problems), heart valve problems and congenital heart defects more commonly have left heart strain or failure.

If you take heart drugs, and many people have to, you decrease the chance of progressive damage by about 30%. If you can exercise and safely lose 5-10% of body weight (if overweight), you can improve the outcomes by up 40-60%. Supplements help in the early stages or help prevent drug side effects or optimize drug responses.

The primary goals and management includes education, supplements, magnesium or B vitamin shots as needed (especially in the early stages) and various classes of prescription drugs. Specific ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and ARB drugs often slow or reverse disease progression. ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers, aldosterone blockers, nitroglycerin derivatives and hydraline decrease mortality rates. All of these require careful consideration and monitoring for benefits or side effects and then make adjustments, which means frequent appointments.

In my experience, olmesartan (Benicar) is overall the best choice for most people because it can improve immune functions (immune problems are always present in these cases) while supporting cardiovascular functions and is part of a larger treatment protocol for immune problems and infections that contribute to heart disease.

Heart Strain or Failure, Part 3

No one can predict which drug will work best for you. It takes trial and error and working together to see what helps or harms you. Scientific medical studies can be a helpful guide to managing drugs. Heart strain or failure is caused by a combination of poor lifestyle choices, immune problems, kidney problems, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine problems, fluid overload in later stages and other manageable factors that are difficult to understand, but manageable. The more we work on these factors, the less drugs you need or you get better treatment results with drugs.

Some drugs are proven to improve survival rate, which means they control symptoms better, slow progressive damage, decrease the need for hospitalizations and prolong longevity (you live longer).

Drugs and supplements work best in patients who consume healthy foods (in the right quantities) and exercise regularly (30 minutes most days of the week).

We must monitor potassium and kidney damage tests initially, after every dose change and every 3-6 months. We must monitor for side effects, including immune suppression (which can lead to cough) and increased stroke risk.

We must monitor potassium and kidney damage tests initially, after every dose change and every 3-6 months and watch for low blood pressure.

Heart Strain or Failure, Part 4

Drugs and supplements work best in patients who consume healthy foods (in the right quantities) and exercise regularly (30 minutes most days of the week).

In some patients, aldosterone blockers (spironolactone) is preferred or added for worsening symptoms. It helps to reduce fluid retention, slow potassium and magnesium loss that depletes heart functions, prevents palpitations and may decrease scar tissue formation in the heart and blood vessels.

We must monitor potassium and kidney damage tests at 1 week, 4 weeks and every 3-6 months.

Additional drugs: note these or longer preferred because, while relieving symptoms, they do not improve survival rate or slow the progression of heart damage. Diuretics can damage the kidneys and accelerate heart damage.

We must monitor blood levels. Too little is ineffective and too much can be toxic.

For African Americans, those with severe or worsening heart failure and those with nitric oxide problems (erection problems, pulmonary hypertension, other conditions), a special drug called BiDil may be helpful. This is a combination of nitroglycerin derivatives and blood vessel relaxants.

Start out on low doses and increase slowly under supervision. Check blood pressure weekly initially and after each dose change. Once tolerated, go to maximum dose, if needed, for best results.

DO NOT TRY TO ADJUST DRUGS ON YOUR OWN.

ALWAYS BRING ALL DRUGS and SUPPLEMENTS TO EACH APPOINTMENT.

PATIENTS OFTEN NEED TO START AT LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG DOSES AND INCREASE SLOWLY AS NEEDED TO PREVENT SIDE EFFECTS

DO LABS AND RECHECKS AS INSTRUCTED TO PREVENT SIDE EFFECTS AND OPTIMIZE RESULTS

YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND ALL THE MECHANISMS AND IMPAIRMENTS IN HEART STRAIN OR FAILURE AND MANAGE THIS YOURSELF

PATIENTS WITH CLASS C AND D HEART FAILURE SHOULD ALSO SEE A CARDIOLOGIST.

Heart Strain or Failure, Part 5

Supplements for cardiovascular conditions are only reviewed in appointments, for medical and legal reasons. Ones that commonly help our patients include magnesium shots, specific multiple vitamins, specific EFAs, antioxidants, amino acids, specialty herbs and other products. We generally find best results with pharmaceutical grade supplements (available in our office), higher doses as needed and certain combinations.

Just like heart drugs, there are many combinations and doses of supplements that can help. Just like heart drugs, we increase doses or create combinations as needed.

In my clinical journals, every month I read articles how common supplements, available in health food stores or to unlicensed individuals, lack necessary ingredients or have toxic components. We research and offer our own brands and typically see better results.

Drugs and supplements work best in patients who consume healthy foods (in the right quantities) and exercise regularly (30 minutes most days of the week).

If you get your supplements elsewhere, there is no way we can know if they are pharmaceutical grade. Many are not and, consequentially don’t work well. Many contain contaminants, especially toxic substances and/or do not have necessary ingredients. It does no good to purchase an inferior product, get poor results and then think supplements don’t work.

David Overton, PA-C works at Natural Medicines & Family Practice under the supervision of Dr. Richard Faiola, MD, ABFM providing integrated conventional and alternative approaches. He works in conjunction with cardiologists, who tend to focus on the sickest patients only.